Teaching and Learning About Positive Deviance: Boosting Metacognition to Grasp Global Communication Theory and Practice

Abstract

The National Communication Association’s learning outcomes in communication (LOCs) outline what students in the communication discipline need to know and do. This article argues that by teaching and learning about the Positive Deviance (PD) approach in classrooms, LOCs can be effectively promoted. Pedagogy around the PD approach can create conditions for learners to become deeply knowledgeable about how cognition operates, and deliver such global learning outcomes as application of knowledge, appreciation of cultural diversity, the value of perspective taking, and self-efficacy in initiating cross-cultural social and behavioral change. Further, planning and simulating PD interventions in the communication curriculum can foster global learning outcomes, allowing learners to self-discover the value of integrating communication theory and research.